text:
So I got an email this afternoon with the intriguing subject line: 'All the troglodytes in one place'. I won't reveal the sender, but it turned out to be a surprisingly accurate description of an event to be held in New York in two days' time, grandly titled: "Techno-Utopianism & the Fate of the Earth: Why Technology Will Not Save The World".
I invite you to read the, er, PDF. There is a rambling pre-amble, but the real meat is in the sessions – all of them dedicated to promoting various naturalistic fallacies, backward-looking reactions to modernism and globalisation, and other kinds of outdated green fantasising. Humanity's "unquenchable thirst" for knowledge is lamented; as is the loss of an imagined past where "we once lived in contact with wild Nature, and in-close human community; connected, embedded". (Hence the rapid progress of various plagues…)
It's all dressed up in environmentalist language, but it's a peculiarly Leftish dystopian discourse: "With the planet depleted, overbuilt and poisoned, wild nature and its great gifts are disappearing… For corporations, innovation solves the problem: Ignore the mess, create saleable 'green' false solutions, and build and market 'substitute nature' for uninterrupted product development and growth". This sounds like a pseudo-religious narrative – capitalism is seen as humanity's Sodom and Gomorrah, drowning us in consumerist excess that can only end with an apocalyptic Fall.
A teach-in is a rather old-fashioned type of event, didactic and reminiscent of the 1960s, but no doubt that is intentional. Things after all were better in the past! Even though many more children died young, gay rights were suppressed everywhere in the world, life expectancies were lower, and societies more violent and ignorant, things were better before, agree the speakers. Progress is an illusion, and the increasing sum of human knowledge and technological capacity must be stopped – whether it's nanotechnology, nuclear fission or the mapping of the genome.
All this anti-tech stuff no doubt has limited appeal to the mainstream, but it seems to be pulling in a few people who really should know better. What is 350.org doing as a co-sponsor, and Bill McKibben as a speaker, at an event which is partially dedicated to old people moaning about how these pesky youngsters spend too long on their smartphones? "Many in our society see the ecological crisis as a grand new economic opportunity for growth and profit… inventions as Google glass, driverless cars, app-after-app- after-app, and ever more handy instruments for cyber-envelopment of our consciousness and everyday lives." Okaaaay, like whatever.
And then there's the rank hypocrisy of well-fed intellectuals flying in from all over the world to bemoan the march of technology. I mean, where do even you start on all the ironies? The fact that it's promoted on the web? That no-one is coming by horse? That Vandana Shiva might have missed the party had she had to row over from India in a canoe? That electricity will no doubt be an essential part of the logistics of the proceedings?
In my experience, few of those promoting backwardness for other people live out those dreams themselves. If Vandana Shiva, for example, really believed her own rhetoric about the noble simplicity of the lives of the Indian poor, would she be demanding $40,000 and business-class travel for her speeches to the gullible but well-heeled Western audiences who seem to have an endless fawning appetite for her particular brand of Eastern mysticism? If you don't believe Shiva is interested in money, check out this email from her speaker bureau, as revealed by blogger Keith Kloor at Discover magazine:
Along with the explicit rejection of the scientific method comes a whole barrowload of woo. There's someone called Katie Singer talking about 'An Electronic Silent Spring: EMRs/Radiation Soup' – no doubt promoting scary fictions about the dangers of wi-fi and mobile phones. Ooh look, there's a book you can buy on Amazon, and a website telling you about "why exposing children to wi-fi may lead to autism". (Why is it always autism? Same with the anti-GMOers – autism seems to be the quintessential modern fear. Ironically.)
There's woo too from Helen Caldicott, who believes that millions – yes, millions – of people are dying or will die because of nuclear accidents at Chernobyl and Fukushima, and that the scientific community's vastly lower estimates are the result of a huge, sinister conspiracy involving everyone who disagrees with her. The GMO haters on the speaker list are too numerous (and tedious) to mention. There's no-one on the bill who hates wind turbines or solar panels, but then this rejection of modern technology is nothing if not selective.
The more I think about it, the more I wonder if this event – silly as it may be – does indeed highlight an essential divide in environmentalism, most especially between the pessimists and the optimists. Optimists believe that human ingenuity and innovation makes our species special, and enables us to solve complex and profound problems in all sorts of ways – generally involving tools, otherwise known as 'technology'. Pessimists believe in retreat, that the only answers lie in abandoning human power and agency and going back into the bosom of mother nature – and that deploying the dreaded 'techno-fix' will only lead us deeper into doom.
Unfortunately this latter belief, in some form or another, is probably held by the majority of modern environmentalists. It is deluded, simplistic, ahistorical and anti-scientific, as well as politically reactionary and absurdly hypocritical.
I'll give the last word to Hans Rosling, who gently mocked his green-inspired students in this superb video about the washing machine that I never get tired of watching:
I could ask the same question of the anti-technology speakers and participants at the upcoming NYC teach-in. How many of you wash your own clothes? Not with hot running water either, but by bashing them on a rock on the edge of the East River. No? Thought not. Then surely everyone in the world has the right to a washing machine just like you? We'd better continue with industrial development for a while longer then, hadn't we? Just for the sake of equality, mind you.
37 Comments
I eagerly await the #technoutopia tweets.↓
It would be interesting to track down where the money for this is really coming from. I bet it ultimately leads back to banksters (promoting commodity scarcity) and fossil fuels (trying to lock in gas infrastructure as coal ages out), even if the money is laundered through bogus foundations.↓
So if banksters fund Hans Rosling, you and your family will now wash your clothes, and everything else, by hand?
This is all one sided Mark….but thats you ..isn't it.↓
There's another side? Some alternative universe where these people don't look like fools or hypocrites?
As someone who has just carried many buckets of drinking water – the pro and anti lobbies are equally and "extremely" stupid. Yes, we have a mobile phone, electricity, fridge/freezer, tv, lap-top computer and even a washing machine (unused for 2 years).
We are also putting together a package to construct a 30 MW solar farm and a factory that will volume produce leading edge and "green" hollow core concretes for low cost housing – strong houses that use around half the materials as solid concrete structures.
What is horrific is the dumping of obsolete technologies in the third world that do not really address the specific needs of those countries. For example, many hot third world countries expend 40% of their electrical power on heating the outside environment to create cooler internal "pockets" that people occupy – old technology that fosters greater dependency upon carbon based power generation. As the populations increase so do the demands for electricity. It is technologically possible to provide better air conditioning that saves 50% to 70% of capital and running costs in part by improving building technology.
One example, the US built a nuclear power plant, here in Bataan, Philippines. The Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) was built in the early 1980's but never went into operation. Construction on the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant began in 1976. Following the 1979 Three Mile Island accident in the United States, construction on the BNPP was stopped, and a subsequent safety inquiry into the plant revealed over 4,000 defects. Among the issues raised was that it was built near major earthquake fault lines and close to the then dormant Pinatubo volcano. The volcano's Plinian / Ultra-Plinian eruption on 15 June 1991 produced the second largest terrestrial eruption of the 20th century after the 1912 eruption of Novarupta in the Alaska Peninsula. The philippines has not been able, with limited resources, to catch up for the lost nuclear power plant, that has been substituted by a number of coal fired power plants.↓
So, about that Bataan nuclear plant…
1) Exactly which organisation found "4000 defects"? Could you link to their site so we can familiarise ourselves with their credentials?
2) The Philippines has been hit by earthquake, volcano and typhoon since the plant was completed. How much damage has it sustained in that time? I know it's none, which seems like pretty thorough pre-operational testing.
3) I have it on good authority that the current alternative to activating BNPP is conversion to a coal plant. But we know the pollution from coal directly causes respiratory diseases and death – versus speculative damage from a nuclear accident?
4) The US response to Haiyan included the USS George Washington – a nuclear carrier that can desalinate a vast volume of water daily. I don't doubt that many Philippinos were happy to have a couple of reactors on their coast in the aftermath.
There was an IAEA inspection of the plant in 2008 as a preliminary to seeing if it could be made operational. Then in 2011 the government were considering making it a tourist attraction!
In 2014 I see there's an active proposal to build a gas or coal plant on the site. If there's already the infrastructure to distribute generated power it would make sense.
"Among the issues raised was that it was built near major earthquake fault lines and close to the then dormant Pinatubo volcano. The volcano's Plinian / Ultra-Plinian eruption on 15 June 1991 produced the second largest terrestrial eruption of the 20th century after the 1912 eruption of Novarupta in the Alaska Peninsula. The philippines has not been able, with limited resources, to catch up for the lost nuclear power plant, that has been substituted by a number of coal fired power plants."
Deaths per TWh per energy source:
Coal – world average 161 (26% of world energy, 50% of electricity)
Solar (rooftop) 0.44 (less than 0.1% of world energy)
Nuclear 0.04 (5.9% of world energy)
Anybody who thinks that renewables alone is going to help developing nations climb out of poverty is living in cloud-cuckoo land, to be honest.
I feel like the BBC journalist who looked at the front cover of UKIP's manifesto and saw nothing but white faces.
Of the speakers 40 or so are white people from western countries. Incredibly the only non-white speakers from a western country are spokespeople for indigenous groups. And almost every non-white speaker is a spokesperson for an indigenous group.
This can only be described as creepy.
Of course there also doesn't seem to be a single person under the age of 50. This should make it clear that this is just a tired, dated and now irrelevant strand of environmental thinking.↓
Can we not just organize an event like this ourselves in a huge shed somewhere, wait for all these 'experts', 'gurus' and activists to turn up, and just lock them all in for perpetuity?↓
"There's no-one on the bill who hates wind turbines or solar panels, but then this rejection of modern technology is nothing if not selective."
The rebranding of glimmering PV and statuesque white turbines as the be all and end all of renewable energy leads so many astray these days.
We can only assume these participants would be happy to have the totality of both industries chugging along In Their Backyards.
China is far more out of mind.↓
I'm gonna call Heather Colburn on Monday and ask her if Shiva really gets $40k for her speeches. I want to hear her justify that. I wonder what would happen if several, or more, people were to call Colburn about Shiva's astronomical (no pun intended) fees.
HEY! I just had a brilliant idea! You know her anti-gmo good buddy, Jeffrey Smith, the flying yogi? She can just get on a blanket with him, and fly for free!! (oh, yeah; the $40k fee still applies tho, right?)
Will get back to y'all on Monday after I talk to Ms. Heather about Shiva's fees.↓
I am a lifelong washing machine user. But I once went for an extended stay in Romania. The rural town I lived in had no washing machines. Everyone used big plastic basins, detergent, and just rolled up their sleeves and went squish, squish, squish! So I did it too. Hmmm, not so bad, I thought. It really builds arm strength, it's good exercise! Of course, my dainty clothes started to stretch out with all my wringing them. But it was lots of fun to watch the clothes steaming while drying outside in the very frigid winter. Much, much later, I happened on a blog by a Romanian-American who complained that Romanians stank from body odor. I suggested to him in the comments that many Romanians don't have washing machines and therefore wear the same clothes much longer than we do in the West. He almost blew a fuse and adamantly maintained that all Romanians had washing machines. I guess having washing machines is associated with a certain level of civilization and my suggestion was an insult to him.↓
It is always autism because autism is a diagnosis of the modern era, first becoming a seperate diagnosis in the 60s and not really becoming well diagnosed until the 90s. Whatever modern ill you want to decry, you can correlate it to a rise in autism rates.↓
Boy, won't they be surprised and dismayed when they learn Cooper Union has a prestigious Engineering program.
Hee, hee.↓
Judging from the programme this conference is not about opposing technology. It is a rejection of the idea that new technology is necessary and sufficient to solve the majority of problems effecting society, social change is needed instead; and a rejection of the proliferation of useless and harmful technology.
Will making the social and political changes needed to replace fossil fuels with nuclear or renewable power solve climate change? Will inventing a new type of nuclear reactor help if the anti-nuclear movement stops its construction?
Will energy efficiency help without social, political or economic mechanisms exist to limit energy use?↓
"Everybody in the world cannot have cars and washing machines…" says Hans in the video. Cars and washing machines are not equivalent in cost, energy use, or environmental impact. Nor do washing machines (or access to use them regularly) require any where close to $40/day. Pretty weak.↓
Why the hell shouldn't every household have a washing machine? It liberates women from drudgery, which has to be a GOOD THING. I bet Hans wouldn't give up his washing machine in a hurry.
Talk about pulling up the ladder…
Where did I say people (or women specifically) shouldn't have access to washing machines? I was commenting on Hans Rosling's overly broad generalization and overall poor logic.
I know you didn't. I was agreeing with you.
Sorry–I can be tone deaf to written comments…
Perhaps we should challenge these people to organize a meeting of this kind without resorting to anything remotely technological? Not even tin cans at either ends of a piece of string?
You're going to have to start to post something I disagree with at least once in a while, Mark. I find myself agreeing with you on just about every topic you mention.↓
PS: is there REALLY somebody attending called 'Jerry Mander'? What's he speaking on, 'New Approaches to Electoral Poltics'?↓
But none of this is the point. None of the polarities you outline here are the real ones. The divide you delineate among environmentalists is not the correct one, and it is way too simplistic.
The real issue is not technology v anti-technology. The issue is overshoot and tipping points already past. It's that the techno world you treasure is going to collapse this century and nothing we do now will keep that from happening.
The real divide is among those who know this, and those who don't. The conference is useless for helping us figure out how to survive, but so is this post. We will need to localize our technologies and restore local ecosystems in order to survive. How we do that, and decouple from corporate domination of the economy to make it possible, is our real struggle. The issue of technology is about how to serve that. Humans are just not as superior as you think we are. We are subject to all the same laws of nature as any other beings.
This way of framing things, esp in these accusatory tones, is just not helpful↓
Very well said. You summarize in a few words what numerous authors have spent thousands of pages explaining. E.g., Howard T. Odum, Donella Meadows, William Ophuls, Herman Daly.
"We are subject to all the same laws of nature as any other beings."
What laws of nature are we subject to, and which ones are we transgressing?
We are subject to all of them. That we think we are not is our great transgression.
"What laws of nature are we subject to, and which ones are we transgressing?"
Here are two:
1. Limits to growth. In addition to the 1972 classic of that name, see
2. Second law of thermodynamics. There is a good body of work exploring the connections between thermodynamics and economics and sustainability. http://www.amazon.com/The-Entropy-Law-Economic-Process/dp/0674281640
is one starting point.
This recent paper provides an excellent perspective: http://www.yadvindermalhi.org/uploads/1/8/7/6/18767612/malhi_2014_metabolism_of_a_human_dominated_planet.pdf
Also of interest is the linkage between political and economic systems and the implications of exceeding the limits to growth at the same time as the inequitable distribution of economic wealth and thus of political power increases too much. This recent paper speaks to the issue:
Thank you for these links. Eager to get into them!
Toby Thaler says:
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
29 October 2014 at 4:56 pm
"What laws of nature are we subject to, and which ones are we transgressing?"
Here are two:
1. Limits to growth. In addition to the 1972 classic of that name, see
www dot manicore.com/fichiers/Turner_Meadows_vs_historical_data.pdf
www dot clubofrome.org/?p=326
www dot albartlett.org/articles/articles_by_al_bartlett.html
2. Second law of thermodynamics. There is a good body of work exploring the connections between thermodynamics and economics and sustainability. www dot amazon.com/The-Entropy-Law-Economic-Process/dp/0674281640
is one starting point.
This recent paper provides an excellent perspective:
www dot yadvindermalhi.org/uploads/1/8/7/6/18767612/malhi_2014_metabolism_of_a_human_dominated_planet.pdf
Also of interest is the linkage between political and economic systems and the implications of exceeding the limits to growth at the same time as the inequitable distribution of economic wealth and thus of political power increases too much. This recent paper speaks to the issue:
www dot sesync.org/sites/default/files/resources/motesharrei-rivas-kalnay.pdf
I don't tend to think of those as laws of nature in the same way that many Greens would. Greens like to appeal to 'Nature' and her 'natural wisdom' without spelling out exactly what they mean. Which is why I asked that question.
I'm with Mark's analysis in The God Species: there are nine planetary boundaries that we ignore at our peril. Theyare:
* Stratospheric ozone layer
* Biodiversity
* Chemicals dispersion
* Climate Change
* Ocean acidification
* Freshwater consumption and the global hydrological cycle
* Land system change
* Nitrogen and phosphorus inputs to the biosphere and oceans
* Atmospheric aerosol loading
You can read about them at http://www.stockholmresilience.org/21/research/research-programmes/planetary-boundaries.html .
I just wish that when people appeal to 'Laws of nature', they'd inject a note of rigour once in a while. We don't need any of this New Age posturing scheduled for New York to understand what we're up against, and we certainly do need to get fatalistic about it or turn our back on technology either.
Clyde Davies–I am familiar with Rockström et al 2013; that work is totally consistent with the material I cited. I am not trying to defend the "greens". On the other hand, I find those who believe "technology" will somehow save us to at least as lacking in rigor as New Age posturing. Rosling's video exemplifies their skill at illogical arguments that ignore reality.
Many thanks for the Rosling video. He makes a wonderfully concise and empathic case for the dissemination of modern technology.
I think you hit the nail on the head in identifying the ahistorical error at the heart of the modern Luddite movement. Few if any of these people would want to live as their ancestors did, as recently as 100 years ago, when a large majority of the population lived in agricultural communities heavily dependent on manual labor.
There's also the thinly veiled message from this crowd – whether in the 1970s "limits to growth" form or the more modern "agroecology is the answer" (what was the question?) version – that the world population must shrink. Of course it's some other people far away that have to starve to make that happen.↓
Population can shrink without people starving to death. However, it would require a redistribution of wealth sufficient to bring up the standard of living enough for birth rates to drop far enough soon enough. The relationships are well documented.
You sneer at "limits to growth" (my comment posted 2.5 hours before yours in part on that very subject is still awaiting "moderation"). My questions for you: Do you think there are no limits to growth? Do you think our current industrial and technological civilization is capable of being sustained without fossil fuels in quantities in the same order of magnitude as today's production? Do thou think such production is sustainable for more than a decade or so, and if so, what's your basis for that opinion? Do you think civilization can be sustained without substantial sources of energy with an EROEI of at least 5 or 10 to 1? What are those sources going to be in 2100?
We've been in overshoot for decades. Everything we consume now is drawdown. Growth is a myth. Economic growth = depletion of what remains.
Even so-called "renewable" energy – imagine the industrial project of switching to solar, wind and the rest – the materials that will need to be mined, the factories that will have to build the things, the metals, the rare earth minerals.
A lot of this discussion focuses on how to lower carbon emissions, but climate change is only a symptom of the problem, not the problem itself. We are in drawdown mode and every technological fix means energy and materials that have to come from somewhere.
We don't want to deal with the real conundrum – the planet cannot support the human species in its current mode of being. There are better and worse ways to deal with this crisis of overshoot. Denying it is one way, or abiding by the definition of insanity (doing more and more of the same approach hoping for a different result), but that leads us down a terrible, terrible road.
Limits, yes. They exist. The planet is a sphere, a closed system. We've been brilliant in manipulating it to allow more and more drawdown to keep things going. The impossibility of continuing this now looms, the wall into which we are about to crash because we didn't want to turn on the headlights to see where we were headed.
Not so pessimistic.
There are many technology fixes that improve the situation. Just compare the present LED lights with what we had.
Check some more TED video's from this fantastic Swedish guy.


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Washington, D.C. -- In special recognition of October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the Animal Welfare Institute announces the launch of the National Safe Havens for Pets Mapping Project, an online listing by state of safe havens for pets programs, available on the Animals & Family Violence section of the AWI website.
Domestic violence affects everyone, including the family pet. Because of the strong attachments they have with their pets, victims of domestic violence may delay leaving a dangerous situation because of fear for the pet's safety. Abusers are well aware of these attachments and will use violence or the threat of violence against companion animals to control, intimidate, and seek retribution against their spouses/partners, children, or even elderly parents. Victims and their families need help; so do their companion animals. In response to this need, groups in local communities have created safe havens for pets throughout the U.S. - places where the victims of domestic violence may shelter their pets while they and their children seek safety.
Through the National Safe Havens for Pets Mapping Project, a national listing of known safe havens for pets programs will be available online to domestic violence agencies, law enforcement, humane societies, domestic violence victims, and all those individuals and groups who provide services to families in crisis.
Currently, the National Safe Havens for Pets Mapping Project lists over 1,000 safe havens for pets programs. By the end of the year, this database will cover all states and will be searchable by zip code.
"AWI wants to provide practical tools and information to protect animals and their families," stated AWI President Cathy Liss. "We are pleased to have initiated this national online listing, which will be an important resource for the many dedicated people who come in contact with victims of domestic violence and their companion animals."
David LaBahn, president and CEO of the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys welcomes the new resource. "When there is violence in the home, everyone suffers," observed LaBahn. "As prosecutors, we know that abusers take out their rage on the family pets as a way to exert more power and control over children, spouses, even their elderly parents. AWI is providing a great service by developing a national listing of safe havens for pets available in one place for victims of family violence as well as for prosecutors, law enforcement, and service providers. We appreciate their ongoing leadership in this area."
In addition to the National Safe Havens for Pets Mapping Project, the Animals & Family Violence section of the AWI website provides other tools related to pet abuse and family violence, including: Safety Planning for Pets; Asking Questions about Pets at Intake; Children of Domestic Violence Victims; and "Guidelines for Human Service Personnel: Pets, Domestic Violence, and Children," as well as information about states that allow inclusion of companion animals in Temporary Restraining Orders, a model Temporary Restraining Order, and model legislation for Temporary Restraining Orders. AWI also provides a link to a listserv of directors of safe havens for pets programs, organized and maintained by Ahimsa House in Georgia.
Media Contacts:
Mary Lou Randour, Ph.D., AWI, (202) 446-2127
Nancy Blaney, AWI, (202) 446-2141

subset: commoncrawl


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With all the effort AEC professionals put into leveraging technology to communicate digitally on projects, it is a shame that there is often one major road block that becomes the paper in their otherwise "paperless" project: the local city planning and permitting department.
With all the effort architects, general contractors, engineers, consultants, and specialty contractors put into leveraging technology to communicate digitally on projects, it is a shame that there is often one major road block that becomes the paper in their otherwise "paperless" project: the local city planning and permitting department.
With strict protocols and slow approval processes, many local cities and municipalities are struggling to make the migration to the digital age. And progressive project teams across the country are feeling the whiplash from having to put on the brakes and revert back to paper during this process.
One large civil engineering firm recently told me that for all of the progress they've made to facilitate a paperless project, the progress stops at the city interaction. And until we get our cities and municipalities on board with electronic submittal, review and permitting processes, we will continue to see halted progress.
Over the past four years, I've seen the struggle cities face up close and personal. From depleted budgets to lack of IT infrastructure to outdated laws, these are the challenges which hold them back from making any real progress.
However, there are some municipalities which have made this migration a priority. They may be in the minority, but they are growing. From Washington to North Carolina to cities as small as Plano, Texas, to as large as Los Angeles County, many of them now offer e-permitting and submission of PDF plans for review.
With collaboration technology bridging the gap between project team members, some are navigating away from traditionally paper-based reviews to online, collaborative review sessions. The cost savings being realized is not only from increases in productivity as a result of faster review cycles, but also from eliminating unexpected setbacks. For example, one city cited having as many as one workman's comp claim per project due to the weight of the drawings sets being handled by reviewers! That has been drastically reduced simply by allowing clients to submit PDF drawing sets for review.
Given that all projects must go through a permitting process, I wonder how this affects you and your projects. How do you work with your city? Are you able to submit digital plans for review? If not, do you wish you could?
Editor's Note: This is sponsored content. All text and images were supplied by the sponsor company.


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Originally Posted on June 30th, 2010 by Tyler Mackey
This blog is courtesy of Pavilion Lake Research Project (PLRP)
For more information please visit www.pavilionlake.com
Today was my first research dive of the 2010 PLRP season, starting a project on microbialite morphology. I am a geology graduate student from UC-Davis and, while I'm not a true microbiologist, my thesis work is focused on the potential signatures that their communities can leave in the rock record.
Growth processes in the Pavilion Lake microbialites may give insight into the significance of ancient microbial carbonates. I'm particularly excited to join the PLRP crew because of the wide range of microbialite morphologies that are present here. In the course of the next two weeks, I will be diving on one particularly large microbialite, affectionately dubbed the MOUS (microbialite of unusual size). The carbonate structure is apparently templating a boulder from a rockslide. While today was mostly an exploratory dive to photograph and survey the structure, I will mostly be investigating the relationship among light regime, microbialite morphology, and invertebrate grazers.
Locating the MOUS underwater was our first task of the day. We dropped down near its recorded location and then followed the lake bottom down along a landmark rockslide until we reached 85 feet. From previous dive records, we knew that the top of the structure was at 87 feet, so we swam parallel to shore until we intersected it. The visibility in Pavilion Lake is great (particularly as I've done most of my training off of Northern CA) so it was pretty easy to spot.
While my dive buddy, Mike Delaney, worked putting in a temporary transect line to help us more reliably locate the structure (particularly during night dives), I photographed some of the major regions. Large blocks have spalled off the side of the structure throughout its growth, forming an incipient conglomerate of sorts at its base. I'd love to see this in the rock record!
One of the aspects of modern analogues that really fascinates me is time-averaging. What we see here on the surface of the lake is a geological instant, and over time the current growth surface will be incorporated into the microbialite subsurface. What would this look like? Outside of this project, one of my broader research questions is determining what sort of paeleoenvironmental record might be left in a microbialite, and how that signature is altered with preservation, or lack thereof.
I'm excited to learn more about the interactions between these microbialite structures and their surrounding environment as the field season progresses. There is always room for the unexpected in fieldwork, and I look forward to seeing what future dives will uncover in the lives of these microbial communities.
Editor's note: Tyler's boyish good looks have earned him the affectionate nickname "Boy" among the science team – resulting in the title of the blog entry.


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It would appear that you can make most anything taste amazing when you simply apply a bacon and pepper makeover. As is the case with zucchini – it's not my favorite. Sure, I'll eat it in quick bread form – I guess the butter and sugar makeover also works. I don't mind Zucchini sliced thin and grilled but that's mostly because it's slathered with olive oil and usually along side something else much more delicious like steak. But I have too many tainted memories of sludgy, steamed zucchini with nothing more than a light shower of salt – if that.
Now I could eat my weight in zucchini, just add bacon, a Serrano pepper and deep fry. Oh and the Tarragon aioli helps too.
Their squid-like appearance also makes them enticing to me. I don't like squid but apparently I like fried food that looks like them. Go figure.
When the wet batter meets the hot oil the final fritter shape is immediately set, and just like a snowflake, each is uniquely beautiful in a slimy, sea creature sort of way.
Or it is quite possibly another form of the wax and water test. I never did this myself but learned about it via The Simpsons circa 1994. Apparently your future can be predicted by the shape wax makes in cold water. In the Halloween episode Lisa's wax droplet turned into a broom thus determining her future as a witch or housewife. Either way, she was scared.
According to my findings I am set to be a sea creature with long tentacles. Deep fried tentacles. The best kind.
Zucchini Fritters
inspired by epicurious.com and Ratio, by Michael Ruhlman
¾ cup + 1 T flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne
½ teaspoon cumin
½ cup (4 oz) milk
1 egg
1-2 Serrano (or Jalepeno) chopped, seeds removed
3 strips bacon, cooked until crisp and chopped
1 cup grated zucchini (about 1 medium)
Oil for frying
Combine flour, salt, baking powder and spices in a medium bowl. Whisk in the milk and egg until just combine. Add Serrano, bacon and Zucchini. Stir to combine. Do not over-mix or your fritters will get tough.
In a medium saucepan fill with enough oil to come up three inches on the side on the pan. (Fry oil can be reused up to three fries. Once oil is cool, strain out any floaters then put back into the oil container and save for another use. Homemade chips perhaps?!)
Heat oil to 360*
Using a spoon, drop in 1 tablespoon of the batter into the oil. The oil should bubble vigoursly but the fritters should take 2-3 minutes to develop a deep, dark golden color.
Do a test fritter first to determine the proper oil temp and cooking time. Let cool completely and make sure it is completely cooked eternally.
Proceed, cooking 3-5 fritters at one time, while maintaining the correct oil temperature.
Keep warm in an oven set to 200* on a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Don't let the fritters touch or they may get soggy.
Sprinkle warm fritters with a fine sea salt, or Maldon and serve with Tarragon Aioli.
Makes about 20 fritters that must be eaten right away. Not a problem.
Tarragon Aioli
½ cup mayonnaise
1 T. Tarragon, finely chopped
1 small garlic clove (or ½ large), minced (I like to *carefully* grate my garlic on a microplane)
¼ teaspoon lemon zest
salt and pepper
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Taste for salt and pepper.
Chill if not using right away. Will keep tightly covered for 3 days.
*Hey! I just was named one of the top 25 Foodie moms by Circle of Moms. If you would be so kind as to give me a thumbs up that would be awesome.
Top 25 Foodie Moms – help me win!


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The journey to make use of big data is being undertaken by civilian organizations, law enforcement agencies and military alike.
The big data movement is changing the way people work. And just like state, local and federal organizations, the military is trying to get smarter, faster and more flexible with its data.
Dr. Eric Little, vice president and chief scientist for a company making big data software for the military -- a company appropriately named Modus Operandi -- explained to Government Technology that human experts who are capable of analyzing big data, and have the skills and experience to correctly interpret many different types of complex data structures, are hard to come by, which is why big data tools are so valuable today.
"An intelligence analyst in the world of the military services is normally a very young person with limited life experiences, limited technology skills," Little said. "They receive maybe a month and a half, two months of training, and then they're oftentimes put in situations where they need to perform their duties."
And for such military branches as the Air Force, Army, Navy and Marines, performing analysis on big data can be an overwhelming task no matter how much experience an analyst has.
"Sometimes you're talking about spreadsheets with a couple hundred columns or tens of thousands of rows. It's very difficult to traverse those things," Little said. "Now imagine if you have hundreds of thousands of those spreadsheets" and you're trying to correlate everything manually. It's almost impossible for a single person to do so.
Collecting, correlating and making sense of big data into a single, cohesive image is called creating a common operating picture (COP). Another problem with creating a useful COP, Little pointed out, is that oftentimes the most valuable information isn't found anywhere in military intelligence files -- it's in the expert's head. The expert's experience, knowledge and intuition often play a key role in how data is filtered and interpreted to create a COP.
With big data tools, however, it's possible to put the expert's knowledge into the software so everyone can use it, Little said.
The tools provided by companies like Modus Operandi essentially take big data, infuse it with expert knowledge, and create a common framework so that someone with just a couple months of experience can navigate the data and easily identify patterns that might not otherwise be identified.
Traditional intelligence gathering in the field includes teams splitting up, gathering information, returning to base and writing reports -- and then the different teams may or may not learn of what the other teams discovered, and they may or may not gain access to that intelligence within a couple days. Considering the technology that's available, that, Little said, is a cumbersome way of sharing intelligence, Little said.
With big data tools, teams separated in the field can work from a COP that is updated in near-real time.
The Marine Corps, for instance, is now testing Modus Operandi's BLADE technology for use in the field. The product generates a semantic wiki from the COP that is built from the original data inputs. If, for instance, a soldier discovers some information about a person of interest who happened to have been involved in a bombing, he can update the COP with that new piece of information. Additionally, the wiki pages for that person and that bombing event would both be updated, as would any other relevant pages. Other soldiers in the field also would have access to that new information in near-real time. There's no waiting for reports to come in and connecting dots to figure things out – it's all in the system and can be found in the wiki pages.
A semantic wiki is just one output that can be generated from a COP. Once the data has been built into an underlying graph structure, that data can be traversed with complex queries to find different kinds of patterns and output different types of visualizations. For instance, a user interested in spatial data could submit a query that generates a map from the underlying common graph. A user primarily interested in dates could generate a timeline, and so on.
"This allows the war fighters much better situational awareness," Little said, "and it gives them a much broader understanding of things that could be related to the specific items that they're looking at in their data that they otherwise might not have found or seen."
And this type of capability is immensely useful to workers in many other fields, Little said, which is why bio-informatics and emergency and disaster response are among the industries the company is now looking at expanding into.
Though Modus Operandi isn't currently looking at expanding into law enforcement, Little said other organizations are experimenting with such advanced data tools, too. The U.S. Military Academy at West Point is developing software called the Organizational, Relationship and Contact Analyzer (ORCA) that attempts to make sense of big data; it is being piloted by an undisclosed civilian police department in the U.S.
John P. Sullivan, a lieutenant with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, told Government Technology that such tools don't just allow police access to more data, but they also allow agencies to work smarter and more efficiently.
Looking for the latest gov tech news as it happens? Subscribe to GT newsletters.


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EVENTS from Other Institutions
Capacity Building in Impact Evaluation: Counterfactual and Theory-Based Approaches
November 25, 2019 - November 26, 2019
Venue: Grupotel Gran Vía 678, Gran Vía Corts Catalanes, 678, ES-08010 Barcelona; Tel.: +34 931924560; www.grupotel.com
Organizer(s): European Institute of Public Administration (EIPA) Barcelona
c/Girona 20; ES-08010 BARCELONA, Spain. Tel.: +34 93 245 1313; www.eipa.eu
Language: English
Contact: Mr Raymond Pelzer, Programme Organiser
EIPA Barcelona
Tel.: +34 93 245 1201
Info link: https://www.eipa.eu/product/capacity-building-impact-evaluation-november/
How can you ensure high-quality evaluations?
Will evaluation results really provide the evidence required for decision-making, and help to improve policies and programmes?
This course will answer all the above questions, and specifically, will enhance your ability to design, manage and monitor the evaluations conducted by your organisation, irrespective of whether they are supported by EU funds.
What you will learn in this course:
The two most prominent approaches to the current evaluation system: Counterfactual (also known as experimental or quasi-experimental) and theory-based
What counterfactual approaches can and cannot do and the conditions in which they can be used
How theory-based approaches can provide a good alternative when such conditions are not met and discuss ways in which the two approaches can be combined
By the end of the course, you will be able to:
Evaluate the pros and cons of different evaluation tools, and select the ones that are most relevant
Commission and manage evaluations and ensure better dissemination of the results
Design briefs for both internal and external evaluators, interact with them smoothly, and do an efficient assessment of their work quality
Integrate evaluation better into the policy and programming cycle so that it is actually used
Who is this course for:
Public officials from EU Member States, candidate countries, EU institutions and Agencies Managing authorities
Auditors, consultants, staff of NGOs, and other stakeholders involved in the management of evaluation procedures for policies, programmes, and projects
Professionals working with European Funds
Course methodology:
The course will be led by experts who have decades of both research and practical experience in evaluation in an EU context.
There is no previous knowledge/experience required to attend this seminar, but if you do have some prior understanding, it could definitely help you get the maximum benefits out of this course.
After-course support:
You will get the slides as well as additional learning material to apply the new knowledge in your work.
You can also register for this course in May.


text:
Illinois combats antibiotic resistance
Investigation of
cluster of antibiotic-resistant bacteria highlighted
Send a link to a friend
[January 06, 2014]
SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois
Department of Public Health is instituting innovative health
care-associated infection prevention programs and is a national
leader in the control of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, or
CRE, infections, which usually occur in hospital and nursing home
patients and can be extremely difficult to treat.
"IDPH, the Cook County Department of Public Health, the
CDC and Advocate Lutheran Hospital worked together as an
investigative team to identify CRE infections and discover the
source of the outbreak," said IDPH Director LaMar Hasbrouck. "It is
this type of coordinated effort that is vital to stopping CRE
infections from spreading."
Enterobacteriaceae are a family of more than 70 bacteria,
including E. coli, that normally live in the digestive system. Some
of these bacteria have become resistant to most antibiotics,
including a group of antibiotics known as carbapenems, often
referred to as "last-resort" antibiotics. The bacteria can kill up
to half of patients who get CRE bloodstream infections. In addition
to spreading among patients, often on the hands of health care
personnel, CRE bacteria can transfer their resistance to other
IDPH has been working for years to identify and stop the spread
of antibiotic-resistant organisms.
In 2012, IDPH
engaged 254 hospitals and long-term care facilities in the
Illinois Collaborative to eliminate Clostridium difficile
infections, a common cause of bacterial diarrhea in hospitalized
In November 2013,
IDPH began using an Extensively Drug-Resistant Organism Registry
to track CRE and improve communication among health care
facilities caring for patients with CRE infections.
[to top of second column]
IDPH is forming a task force with nationally recognized CRE
experts, including representatives from the CDC-funded
Prevention Epicenter in Chicago.
In 2014, IDPH will run a statewide
collaborative on antibiotic stewardship to support practices
aimed at responsible antibiotic use.
Information on hospital infection rates can be found in the
Illinois Hospital Report Card and Consumer Guide to Health Care at
Raising awareness of disease outbreaks is important to help
prevent the spread of illness. Such communications are one of the
Illinois Department of Public Health's priorities outlined in its
five-year strategy for 2014-2018. For a copy of the strategic plan,
[Text from
Illinois Department of Public
Health file received from the
Illinois Office of Communication and Information]
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text:
Card above made using our new Elf boot SVG Cut File
Scroll down to see this weeks Guest Designer and see you tomorrow for our NEW RELEASES and Day 3 of our twelve days.
A really fabulous card, the ribbons which are perfect with the theme. really impressive work you done here. Can 't wait to make one for myself.
first aid cabinets
Hi ladies
Gorgeous and beautiful cards
Hugs Dianne xx :)
How FUN! These are fabulous, Ladies!
soooo adorable.....love them all what a great idea


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It is 10 a.m. on Thursday, April 4. I am volunteering at Colorado Plains Medical Center and have asked six people (members of our community, varying ages) to describe Fort Morgan in one word. This is what I got: Smelly, Stinky, Diverse, Boring, Home, Small.
Not very impressive.
Flash forward 3 hours. It is 1:20 p.m. and I am sitting in my office. I have randomly polled six new passers-by or texters-by, as it were, and this time I asked each of them to describe the people of Morgan County in one word. This is what I got: Diverse, Stinky (no kidding), Unique, Boring, Ignorant, Drug Addicts.
Really?? Yikes.
I am 30 years old. I am a working professional and I love my job. I also like to volunteer, attend Lions Club meetings, go to the movies with my son, jog at Riverside Park, meet new people, read books, the list goes on. In essence, I am one of many young people in this county who want to not be thought of as boring, stinky, ignorant or addicted to drugs.
In fact, I am one of many young people who have decided to stop complaining about our boring little town and actually do something to try to change our perceptions about this community that has so much potential for greatness. This county is in need of a Young Professionals Network, and that's exactly what we've started.
We are The Roots Group. And we are determined, respective, charismatic hard workers that you want by your side. We are driven by the desire to succeed and make great things happen in our community. We are inspired by others around us and always seeking a way to make a difference. We're individuals between the ages of 21 and 45, seeking to expand ourselves both professionally and socially, all while having fun!
This is not so much a letter to inform, but a call to action. If you're one of us — someone who wants to succeed through positive ideas, building bonds between the business community and other professionals, having a chance to connect with other like-minded people — you need to join us on April 18. Learn more about our group, come ask questions, and most importantly, come to have some fun. We'll be at the Comfort Inn conference room from 5 to 7 p.m. Food and beverages provided. If you can't make it but still want more information please call me at 970-768-0935 or email us at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Hope to see you there,
Jeni Elrick and The Roots Group


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From Hybridgraphics
Bumblebee allows you to run specific programs on the discrete graphic card, inside of an X session using the integrated graphic card. Martin Juhl started with the project and published under GPL v3 and now continues with [Ironhide] (deprecated). To improve co-operation, developers decided to fork the project into a team: Bumblebee-Project.
Bumblebee 2.4 and before was written in Bash and has now been superseded by Bumblebee 3.0, which is written in C. Many distributions are supported, including Arch Linux, Debian, Mandriva and Ubuntu. For the latest installation instructions, see http://wiki.bumblebee-project.org/Install-and-usage.
Ubuntu users (especially when upgrading) see How well do laptops with Nvidia Optimus work?
You can compare display performances with and without bumblebee :
glxgears optirun glxgears
Note: when running just glxgears, if you see this message:
Running synchronized to the vertical refresh. The framerate should be approximately the same as the monitor refresh rate.
The FPS value will always be close to 60. Instead you should do:
vblank_mode=0 glxgears
Configure it
On versions prior to 2.3, you had to run bumblebee-configuration to configure Bumblebee. Newer versions automatically detect the right version for you.
If you've installed Bumblebee through your package manager, remove it using your package manager.
If you're really using an old version (from MrMEEE, versions prior to 2.3), you are screwed. If you have installed Bumblebee 2.4 from git, run `bumblebee-uninstall`. Version 3.0 and later can be uninstalled from the source directory by running `make uninstall`.
Reporting bugs
Run bumblebee-bugreport and follow the instructions, bugs or feature requests can be reported at http://Bumblebee-Project.org/issues.


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If you are a member of IEEE, it might be the time for you to change the password.
A Romanian university teaching assistant, Radu Dragusin, has discovered a publicly accessible FTP server that stored around 100,000 usernames and passwords in plain text. The passwords where found in logs stored on the FTP server. There where around 100GBs of logs which contained 376 million HTTP requests. Out of these, 411,308 entries contained passwords.
He reported the vulnerability to the officials on September 24th and they are rectifying the issue at the moment. The FTP server which contained the information has been taken offline and they are sending password reset email to all those affected. But we are yet to see a public statement from them.
IEEE, if you are not aware, stands for Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers and is an international organization that promotes technology and science. Its members include high position holders from various prestigious institutions. Radu says that the logs consisted passwords of Apple, Google, IBM, Oracle and Samsung employees, as well as researchers from NASA, Stanford etc. The data is assumed to have been available online for about a month. But it is not certain whether the data has been acquired by hackers.
IEEE officials will have to answer a lot of questions in the coming days. Most importantly, why was the password stored as plain text. Secondly, why was the FTP server permissions not set correctly, when it contained massive amount of logs. Hopefully, they will rectify the issues as soon as possible and this should be a cue for others to secure the customer's data.
Source: IEEE Log


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LETTER- Mews residents most important
Region Ten can't just put up a wall and take the position that discussion and discourse are over [Little High Noon: Neighbors, Region Ten square off," April 13]. As a public agency, Region Ten must be accountable, and that includes proactively engaging the community.
If that had been done from the start, perhaps concerned community members would have had an opportunity to take part in the dialogue. This would have added to the integrity of the project, helped to satisfy the parties involved, and, most importantly, helped to serve the residents of the Mews. They're what's most important.
Pete Armetta


text:
Sirena Womens 1/6 CT. T.W. White Diamond 14K Gold Pendant Necklace
Browse all deals at JCPenney
See more in Necklaces & Pendants
See more from Sirena
* This offer may contain time-sensitive information and offers. Please check with JCPenney to confirm actual price & availability.
- Be the first to comment!
1236 Eastdale Mall
Montgomery, AL 36117


text:
Don't have an account?Click Here
Make his birthday celebration a winner with one of our delicious dipped arrangements! Handcrafted using an assortment of juicy, ripe fruit, these unique treats are the tastiest way to get the party started for your #1 guy!
Unlock Local Products!
Enter Delivery Zip Code or Address*
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Make his birthday one to remember with a tasty dipped fruit bouquet! Here at FruitBouquets.com, we have plenty of gift ideas for men! Shop birthday gifts for boyfriend, husband, dad, brother and friends! Celebrate his special day with a fresh and fruity treat. If you're not sure what kind of fruit arrangement to get him, check out our best-selling fruit gifts.
Guys can be hard to shop for, so leave it up to us to help find the perfect present! Our sister brand 1-800-Baskets.com®, has tons of gift baskets for guys like beer kits and food baskets. For the grill master, Stock Yards® has finest steaks and chops that are packed with exceptional flavor.


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Yellow Wallpaper
Yellow Wallpaper
Create a sophisticated ambience with yellow wallpaper. A beautiful collection with wonderful designs in a variety of yellow shades, adding colour and style to a room. Bursts of colour for a fantastic finish.
Chinese Garden Yellow Wallpaper
695401 by Arthouse£10.00 inc VAT
Rosa Wood Panel Yellow/Grey Metallic Wallpaper
9780 by Belgravia Decor£10.00 inc VAT
Tree Grey/Yellow Wallpaper
FD41594 by Fine Decor£10.00 inc VAT
Scandi Leaf Yellow/Grey Glitter Wallpaper
698401 by Arthouse£13.00 inc VAT
Dimensions Floral Yellow/Mustard Wallpaper
FD42597 by Fine Decor£10.00 inc VAT
Chinoise Wallpaper in Yellow
422804 by Arthouse£10.00 inc VAT
Scandi Geo Triangles Yellow/Grey Wallpaper
410921 by Rasch£20.00 inc VAT
Botanique Floral Yellow/Cream Glitter Wallpaper
3423 by Belgravia Decor£13.00 inc VAT
Carus Geo Yellow Wallpaper
L355-02 by Muriva£17.00 inc VAT
Carus Texture Saffron Wallpaper
F793-02 by Muriva£17.00 inc VAT
Yellow Wallpaper
When it comes to updating the décor of any room, there is no better colour choice than yellow wallpaper. Yellow is the brightest colour on the spectrum and offers uplifting properties that are hard to ignore. Synonymous with happiness, enthusiasm and fun, it is perfect for awakening the senses and will make a welcome addition to any home.
Yellow wallpaper comes in a wide range of shades. Pale yellow hues like lemon and magnolia are perfect for lightening any room, and work especially well in rooms where a more relaxed shade is needed like the bedroom or bathroom. Brighter yellow shades are perfect for using as accents or focal points whilst darker shades like mustard yellow offers a more sophisticated look.
If choosing patterned wallpaper in yellow, there are a number of styles that will give you an on-trend look this season from stripes through to retro prints and even classic floral styles. Simply browse the collection and buy yellow wallpaper that will amaze and delight, whatever room it's hung in.


text:
Original Trinity Hymnal, #355
Lord Jesus Christ, our Lord most dear,
As thou wast once an infant here,
So give this child of thine, we pray,
Thy grace and blessing day by day.
O holy Jesus, Lord Divine,
We pray thee guard this child of thine.
As in thy heav'nly Kingdom, Lord,
All things obey thy sacred Word,
Do thou thy mighty succour give,
And shield this child by morn and eve.
Their watch let angels round him keep
Where'er he be, awake, asleep;
Thy saving grace on him bestow
That he in thee may live and grow.
Page number: Blue 355, Right-Click Here to Download MIDI File


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Eating healthy while traveling can be a challenge but with these easy tips you'll be able to enjoy your trip and stay healthy without deprivation.
Planes, Trains & Buses
- Plan where you/what are going to en route
- Avoid fast foods
- Bring a picnic with you; pack sandwiches, fruit and a vegetables.
- Pack healthy snacks
- Who food energy bars, whole grain crackers with nut butter, homemade trail mix, hummus and veggies
- Avoid becoming dehydrated on flights by avoiding soda, alcohol, juice and coffee; instead sip club soda or water.
Road Trip
- Pack a cooler with healthy foods
- Fruit
- Vegetables & Hummus
- Bean Salads
- Nuts & Seeds
- Whole Grain Bread & Crackers
- Fruit Spreads & Nut Butters
- Stop at markets along the way and restock your cooler with healthy foods
- If your only option is fast food look for the healthiest options
- Order off the kids menu
- Look for places with salad bars, vegetable sides, wraps or sandwiches.
- Healthier Fast Food Options:
- Panera- try the great selection of salads, soups and sandwiches
- Au Bon Pain- try their great selection of vegan soups and salads
- Chipotle- stick to the veggie burrito bowls or salads, however avoid the dairy, chips and tortillas.
- Boloco- they offer brown rice, whole wheat wraps, organic tofu and a great selection of veggies, however avoid sugar and high calorie sauces, instead top yours with a fresh salsa and tons of veggies.
- Healthier Fast Food Options:
- Scope out grocery store and health food stores prepared foods and salad bars.
Room Service & Restaurants
- Enjoy a soup or salad with and appetizer or share an entree- this will help in controlling portions; you can still enjoy delicious food but you will be saving your wallet and waistline.
- Avoid the mini bar; Stock your hotel room with healthy snacks so you won't be tempted to eat the high calorie (and high priced) snacks that the hotel stocks in your room.
- Do research; if you take nothing else away from this post it should be this. Take the time to research restaurants, cafes, coffee shops, natural food stores and markets before you travel. You will be able to make more conscious choices if you already know your options. You will also be able to scope out the best places to eat so you can enjoy your experience to it's fullest.
- Stick to your regular eating schedule; I know I already said this above and it applies to any vacations but while cruising (and visiting all inclusive resorts) this is when it is most important to stick to your schedule. You will have food available to you 24 hours a day and for many this means over indulging. Additionally remember to only eat when you're hungry!
- Load up on fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
- Limit your desserts
- Avoid too may sugary drinks, stick to light beers, wine and clear drinks. If you want something fruity try seltzer with your choice of clear alcohol and a splash of fruit juice. Also don't forget to make sure you stay hydrated! Drink your water!
Top Healthy Eating Travel Tips:
- Stick to your regular eating schedule
- Stock up on healthy snacks
- Make conscious decisions when choosing to enjoy a poolside drink or that special indulgence dessert
- Do you research! Find restaurants and health food markets at your destination that have healthy options.
What are your top healthy travel tips?


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Defy All Odds Apparel Sponsors AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport Champion James Rispoli
Lancaster, PA. (August 8, 2012) – Cory Texter Founder of Defy All Odds Apparel soon to be one of the hottest brands in the action sports market is pleased to announce the sponsorship of defending AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport Champion racer James "the Rocket" Rispoli. Rispoli, a champion flat tracker, road racer and multi Bonneville Salt Flats land speed record holder epitomizes the essence of the DAO brand making him an ideal spokesperson for the company.
"I can really relate to DAO brand" said James. "I am a professional motorcycle racer but my family has no background in motorcycles or racing. No one owns a shop, has raced professionally before or is even a mechanic. Many times growing up through the ranks I was told by others that I would never make it, that there were too many racers whose families were in the business or their dads were pro racers. But I am a perfect example of a person who with the right attitude, support and dedication can Defy All Odds and get it done! I wear a medallion around my neck with the saying "never, never, never give up," that was given to me by my father. I live my life by that motto. I am proud to represent the DAO brand and it is even more important to me that I am supporting Cory who I know believes deep in his heart we can all Defy All Odds."
"It's awesome to have James on board with DAO Apparel," stated Texter. "James is a great representative of what is possible when you focus on your goals. I know with James as an example of what the future could be DAO Apparel will continue to grow."
About Defy All Odds
Defy All Odds Apparel is a vision from Cory Texter and inspired by Cory's father, Randy. Randy Texter was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Cancer when he was a teenager. Through many hours of treatment along with his positive outlook, he conquered the illness. He went onto become a very successful businessman, champion professional motorcycle racer, and amazing father. He survived many top speed motorcycle crashes during his career, one of which required (8) metal plates in his face. He made a full recovery, suited back up, raced (and won) again. Suffering through heart disease in his later days, he never missed a day of work and the biggest smile on his face was when he was helping others. Although he is no longer on this Earth, his legacy is something that will never fade away. Everyone defies challenges every day and that "never give up" attitude is something that winners produce time in and time out. Here at DAO Apparel, we provide quality products, outstanding customer service, and unique threads for an affordable price. Be original, be yourself, and Defy All Odds because anything in life is possible with the proper mindset.
Contact us via the web at DAOapparel.com , facebook at Facebook.com/daoapparel and on Twitter at Twitter.com/daoapparel. Email is email@example.com
Phone number for headquarters is: 484-433-2075


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Marimekko Home exhibits unique Finnish design thinking in the heart of Brera during Milan Design Week 2016
13 April 2016
Finnish design house Marimekko takes part in Milan Design Week by bringing the Marimekko Home to the heart of Milan on 12-17 April 2016. Located in an apartment on Via Palermo, the Marimekko Home invites the guests of Milan Design Week to take a peek into the Finnish design brand's everyday aesthetic and celebrates its functionalistic and inclusive design philosophy. The Marimekko Home is created with the support of Finnish design icon Artek.
"When Marimekko was founded in 1951, it was one of the first lifestyle brands in the world. Marimekko design has always aimed at bringing joy to everyday moments through bold prints and colours. We want to empower people in their daily lives and encourage them to turn their homes into a source of inspiration and means of self-expression. What better way to do that than to bring our vision of the Nordic home to Milan Design Week.
As a Swede living in Finland, I have
learned that functionalism and inclusivity are inherent in Finnish design
thinking, and good and qualitative design is a core part of Finnish homes.
Marimekko and Artek have both had a great significance in the formation of the
Finnish design aesthetic, and therefore we are extremely excited to work
together with Artek on this project", says Marimekko's Creative Director Anna
The Marimekko Home built in Milan will present the design house's fall/winter 2016 collection. It explores the mindset of strong, confident women when the first signs of fall begin to appear and when winter finally takes over with its cosy charm. It was inspired by the surrealists' investigation of the space between fantasy and reality, and how this dialogue can be combined with Marimekko's inclusive and functionalistic design approach. Prints by Finnish designer icons, such as Oiva Toikka, Maija Isola and Vuokko Eskolin-Nurmesniemi, create an interesting interplay with more recent prints by Aino-Maija Metsola, Maija Louekari and Sanna Annukka.
The Milan Design Week is one of the world's most notable furniture and interior design events, gathering around 300,000 industry professionals and media representatives annually.


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Simply put, Google's eBookstore is an effort to create the largest digital store for books, independent of publisher, device or cost. This massive collection of over 3 million ebooks can be read on the web or any device including Android, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad using a wireless collection. Your reading experience automatically synchronizes across various platforms, so if you left reading page 3 of Pride and Prejudice on your Android device, you can pick at the same spot even if you later switch to your iPad or iPhone. Besides apps for smart phones, Google also as a Web Reader Application that can be used to read the books from any web browser.
Many of the classics can be read free of cost, while others are offered at a price range of $5.49 to $19.99. Unlike many of its other products though, Google has really made significant effort on providing a great browsing experience for the eBookstore. Books can be searched by author, title or keywords and search can be restricted by choosing one of the many categories. Results can also be narrowed down to display free titles only and can be sorted by publish date.
Consumers, however, are not the only one to benefit from this eBookstore as nearly 4,000 publishers are already in negotiations with Google to sell their eBooks through this massive platform. Major publishers are already offering their collections for a small price and sharing their revenue with Google, and Google is encouraging publishers of all sizes to use the marketplace to promote/sell their books.


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To do so, please go to the main menu and select Options and then select Online.
Then go down to the option labeled Online Invasions
And switch this option to Off. Please be warned that if you disable this option you will not be able to participate in Online Hacking or Tailing.
Additionally, any Notoriety points you've earned whilst playing online will be reset.
You'll be presented with the following warning when you attempt to turn off Online Invasions.


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Article content
If you check out daily lift tickets throughout the B.C. Okanagan/Rockies, you'll find (if you can find 'em – for some strange reason lift-ticket pricing isn't as easy to find on some resort websites as you might assume) day passes ranging from $66 at Apex Resort to $80 at Revelstoke.
Several places have not set their prices as of Oct.17, which is rather odd since they are selling season's passes right now and nerdy, dollar-conscious skiers like to know what the break-even point on a season's pass will be.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
Bonus tubing with lift tickets Back to video
Resorts like you to stick around for a few hours rather than just jump into the van and head back into town, especially if you've got a family. Last year, Silver Star Mountain Resort introduced its My1Pass, which provides a free upgrade/pass to Nordic/cross country, snowshoe trails, the Tube Town tubing park, and free skating on the Brewer's Pond. It's back again for this year, too.
Similarly, at Panorama Resort, your alpine lift ticket includes the Snow Tube Park, tobogganing area, Panorama's Nordic trails, and even night skiing. Panorama has a two tiered day pass system this year: pay just $75 for a lift ticket from Dec. 6 to Dec. 19, 2013, Jan 2. to Feb. 6, 2013, March 31 to April 20, 2013. All other periods are only $2 more, at $77.


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- Serveis de consultoria
Move as fast as you can with our Rapid Deploy Core Financials implementation solution for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central.
Step into you new business solution with Dynamics 365 Business Central Core Financials in as little as eight weeks.
Interested in starting your new business solution now? Columbus offers Rapid Deploy implementation packages for Dynamics 365 Business Central with a goal to be at Proof of Delivery (PoD) in as little as eight weeks. We move as fast you can!
After you have gone through the process of Rapid Implementation and PoD, we follow our SureStep methodology to provide project management and field-tested best practices. We look closely at analysis, design, implementation, and training as an effective strategy in getting your solution up and running as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Modules Implemented:


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Have your work accomplished with an inexpensive cost
Being economical is a vital element in any home improvement project, and Fiberglass Shower Pan is no different. At the same time, you are looking for top quality results, so Fiber Glass Show Pan Experts will give you both. Our objective is to provide you with the most effective Fiberglass Shower Pan service without emptying your wallet.
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Although a large number of companies might be imprecise about when they'll make an appearance and when they're going to accomplish the work, Fiber Glass Show Pan Experts will supply a precise quote of the stretch of time necessary for any work, inform you when we're able to show up to get started, and keep you updated on our progression and any kind of modifications to the schedule when they happen. We understand that carrying out your task fast will save you resources, and our objective is to save time and expense everywhere we're able to. Since we're also highly competent and are specialists with our work, we also steer clear of the common mistakes that other companies create, which helps you to save more hours through never needing more hours to deal with the errors that we do not create. This will save you money on supplies, given that we know what we are doing, and we don't ever waste supplies on errors.
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Front power system LS XR 50
Matev's many years of experience in designing and manufacturing front power systems is reflected in this product spectrum. Thanks to the simple and extremely robust structure, our products can handle even the most difficult applications. Due to the proven lift geometry, the greatest possible lift height is achieved with a compact design. Optimal dimensioning of lifting power over the lift height enables fast and trouble-free attachment and detachment of implements. The force is applied where it is needed.


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Diversity at Regis
多樣性 Diversity التنوع Diversidad גיוון Diversité Tính đa dạng 다양성
Diversity often is a term tossed around with little thought to its meaning. But at Regis University, the term diversity is at the core of our faith-inspired commitment to build an inclusive community that values the dignity and contributions of all our members.
At Regis, our differences should thrive in a learning environment characterized by the Jesuit traditions of mutual respect and the pursuit of justice. Respecting our human differences, whether they are physical or philosophical, is what diversity is all about. It is not necessary that we all believe the same thing, but we all must respect others? beliefs and opinions. Within Jesuit tradition, respect for self and others is critical. A learning community that embraces a diversity of thoughts and ideas benefits all of its members. The discovery and discussion of different viewpoints is what makes a university unique.
Diversity Facts
Regis University boasts a diverse student body - more than 20% are people of color; 65% are female; 43% are Catholic; 3% have a disability.


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http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap100000 ... -handcuffs
Not Hawk related, but this just went down. This story is crazy
Smelly McUgly wrote:Hey guys, with McCoy out for the year, we need a tight end, so what do you think about taking a flyer on old Aar--
Guys? Guys?!
samwize77 wrote:We'll see Cartire...
If guilty of obstruction.....2-5 years....
If guilty of murder.......25 years min.
If found innocent of all charges.....as soon as the jury foreman says "not guilty"
taz291819 wrote:The team obviously has more information than we do. Possibly, they may know he's about to be formally charged with murder.
Seahawk Sailor wrote:BREAKING: Patriots trade Hernandez and a $10 million dollar cap hit to the Massachusetts State Police for some peace and quiet this summer.
Matthew H. @Matthops82 5m
Anyone got the phone number for Ray Lewis' attorney?...asking for a Patriot.
RolandDeschain wrote:Whoa:
Ian Rapoport @RapSheet 3m
RT @WesleyLowery: Prosecutor: Police have #Hernandez on tape w/ firearm and saying "you can't trust anyone anymore" before picking up Lloyd
RolandDeschain wrote:Am I the only one laughing at him? Just curious.
RolandDeschain wrote:Am I the only one laughing at him? Just curious.
Throwdown wrote:He left chewed gum at the scene? Was he trying to get caught?


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Falls from Mardi Gras-season parade floats hurt 2
NEW ORLEANS – Two men were injured falling from floats in a Mardi Gras-season parade Sunday, despite a city ordinance requiring riders to wear a safety belt or harness.
The first man fell from a float in the Krewe of Alla parade about 4:15 p.m. Sunday and was in stable condition when brought to a hospital, said Liz Belcher, a spokeswoman for New Orleans Emergency Medical Services. The second man fell from a separate, double-decker float about 5:30 p.m. and was taken to the city's trauma center in critical condition, Belcher said. The hospital later told her that he had been stabilized. She did not have the men's names or ages.
Dozens of parades roll in New Orleans for two weeks leading up to Mardi Gras, which falls on March 4 this year. Three rolled Sunday.
Most are put on by private groups called krewes. The Krewe of Alla, which had 20 floats this year, bills itself as the fourth-oldest group parading in New Orleans.
The city's parade ordinance requires each rider to wear a safety belt or harness attached to an eye bolt or equivalent fastened to the framework of the float.
The New Orleans Fire Department's pre-parade inspection found the floats met the rules, Belcher said. She said the fire department will investigate the falls.


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With 0.02% accuracy and 1MHz bandwidth, the WT3000 delivers where the highest precision measurements are required. It is the industry standard for R&D work on inverters, motor drives, lighting systems and electronic ballasts, UPS systems, aircraft power, transformer testing, and other power conversion devices.
The High-end WT1600 is designed for a wide range of applications, from energy-saving to large load applications. The WT1600 has a six element input capability to provide maximum flexibility, and Basic Power Accuracy of 0.1% with 1 MHz Bandwidth.
The WT1800 Power Analyzer offers maximum flexibility with up to six wattmeter elements, high bandwidths, simultaneous high speed digitizing, and wide voltage and current ranges. Although this model is still available, the newer WT1800E offers higher accuracy.
Measure characteristics of devices that generate, transform or consume electricity. Also called power meters or wattmeters, these devices measure parameters such as true power (watts), power factor, harmonics, and efficiency.


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Not all relics of the industrial age are quite as 'photogenic' as this old tub!
By now, we are pretty familiar with the principle: 'the polluter pays'.
Our cars must be disposed of responsibly, we have to pay to get rid of materials containing asbestos, and so on.
But could we, and should we, apply this principle to other aspects of our life?
Here's a few ideas for starters.
- There's a clear link between fatty and sugar laden foods and obesity – which is set to cost our Health Service a fortune in the years to come. Should such foods attract a special tax, both as a disincentive for consumption, and to make sure those eating these foods meet the total cost resulting from consumption?
- Late night pubs and clubs spill people onto streets at times when shopkeepers are not around. It costs money to provide police at this time, taking resources away from previous normal daytime duties. And if a drunken fracas develops and a shop window gets broken in, it rests with the shopkeepers to answer a call in the early hours, arrange emergency repairs, and then install security shutters. Should the cost of all this be met by taxing those who run licensed premises which serve areas where these problems occur?
- People end up in hospital for all sorts of reasons – sometimes as a result of accidents caused by dangerous driving, sometimes because of violent assaults. Expensive therapy may even be needed to help victims cope with the aftermath of criminal activity. Should the costs be met by the perpetrator, rather than by the tax payer?
- Disposing of household rubbish is increasingly expensive – whether for landfill or by recycling. Most householders battle with junk mail they don't want, as well as with unnecessarily elaborate packaging. Shouldn't those generating these materials, be expected to meet the cost of disposal?
- How much money is spent on cleaning up after chewing gum? Shouldn't clean up costs be met by the companies who make and sell it?
What do you think?
Would this help people understand the full consequences of their actions?
Can you think of any other examples?


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About Us
Transition 101
Transition Towns
Knowledge Hub
Thanks for visiting our volunteer opportunities page - please contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com for more details about any of the following roles.
Is marketing and communications your skill? We need your expertise to get the word out about Transition to different segments of the population, to help us refresh website text and build compelling messaging. This work is so important. Help us tell the story.
Youth are stepping up across the country to engage in building a more resilient future that is community-driven and sustainable. If you would like to connect with engaged youth as a mentor, please contact us.
Transition projects are cropping up across the country and we are looking for experienced storytellers, journalists, reporters and community weavers to help in celebrating and documenting these projects so we can all learn from our collective experience.
Are you a news and blog reader? Do you find yourself catching up on Transition activities or ground-breaking resilience-building news and information across the country or around the world? We will all benefit if you can be on the lookout for Transition news stories and resilience-building articles wherever they appear in the US and let us know so we can get them up on our website.
Are you skilled in group process, organizational decision-making process, or conflict resolution? Can you devote one or more hours a month to coaching members of Initiating Groups on the following: facilitating effective meetings, group decision-making, transforming conflict into opportunity? Let us know!
We have a growing library of past webinars and trainings that would be great to have in readable format. If you are interested in taking a few hours to transcribe a webinar, contact us. (Eg. Conversation between Richard Heinberg and Rob Hopkins here)
Do you have experience fundraising and/or grant writing? Let us know how you might be able to help us in continuing our mission and ensuring that the growing number of Transition communities are fully supported.
As our movement grows in size it grows in complexity. We could use some expert advice to help us shape effective structures & systems that will both maximize the creative unleashing of our collective genius and the sharing of it!
These are comprehensive community plans and several Transition Initiatives are on the verge of building these. If you have engaged in a big project like this and have some ready tips on how to best organize research & data for complex projects – we could use them!
We are in the process of developing specific "channels" around topics important to you as you embark on the Transition journey, and we recognize that YOU are the experts in these areas. Our intention is for these channels to contain the most useful and up-to-date resources available. Each channel will have a "facilitator" who will assist us in ensuring each topic is properly represented by suggesting books, films, videos, websites, and other related resources. We anticipate your role as Facilitator should not take more than 1-2 hours per month. Please contact us if this is something you are willing and able to take on.
Just have a few hours to devote? See what help you can offer to a Transition Initiative near you.
Katie Michels
"I am a sophomore studying geography and environmental studies at Middlebury College. I appreciate Transition's emphasis on possibilities, not probabilities, and constantly try to infuse that ethic in my life by learning, reading, and doing. I enjoy making yogurt, growing food, reading, and exploring the great outdoors."
Molly Rose-Williams
Molly was born and raised in Berkeley, California, where she participated in the Edible Schoolyard Program at King Middle School that first sparked her interest in environmental issues. She is currently pursuing this passion at Middlebury College, where she is studying environmental studies and geography, as well as Chinese and dance. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, cooking, gardening and eating.


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Conset 501-25 (133cm Wide) Electric Frame
- From
- Lumbar Pain The lumbar region is sometimes referred to as the lower spine, or as an area of the back in its proximity.
- Coccyx Pain The coccyx, commonly referred to as the tailbone, is the final segment of the vertebral column in humans and apes.
- Neck & Shoulder The neck is the body part between the head and torso.
- Sciatic Pain The sciatic nerve is a large nerve in humans and other animals. It begins in the lower back and runs through the buttock and down the lower limb.
- Pelvic Pain The pelvis is either the lower part of the trunk, between the abdomen and the thighs, or the skeleton embedded in it.
- Spinal Curvature or Pressure Spinal curvature is when there's abnormal lateral curvature of the spine.
- Lumbar SupportNullam cursus, libero quis faucibus euismod, metus justo pellentesque tortor, at auctor nisi ipsum sit amet libero. Vivamus vehicula luctus consequat. Quisque iaculis, ante eget semper semper, nisi ipsum egestas libero, id sagittis nulla nisi vitae velit.
- Availability
- Delivery Time: 2 weeks
- £12 Carriage OR...
The Conset 501-25 lifts to 116cm and supports most user's needs. This 133cm wide variation is suitable for desks 140cm wide. Height adjustable from 66-116cm.
*The price below does not include the table top - please choose your top size from the options tab below.
A small selection of desk tops are available to select below - other top sizes and colours are available, including custom made tops - please contact us if you would like to discuss these options
- Features
- Cable Tray
- No
- Frame Size
- 133w x 68d (cm)
- No. of Columns
- Two
- Weight Rating
- 0-80kg
- Height Range
- 66-116cm
- Your choices:
- None selected.
- Your add ons:
- None selected.
From £476.40 (£397.00 +VAT)
As humans we are designed to stand upright. In this way our bodies are perfectly balanced and our bones, muscles and joints in a neutral position, particularly with regard to the natural curve of our spine. People with existing back problems often find that working standing at an electric desk offers significant pain relief and can also help the recovery process.
The smooth electric height adjustment in the ConSet desk allows the user to alter their working height from 66-116cm, making this perfect for multi-user environments. People of various heights can easily adjust their desk according to their specific needs – particularly beneficial for those of a taller stature to prevent stooping.
Custom Sizes:
Each of the frame choices has a number of standard desk shapes and sizes to choose from, but if you can't find the desk you want we can have it made for you. Please ask us for details on special desk shapes.


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Usually, when Plies hits the stage, you can count on hundreds and twenties raining down on the crowd as he raps about how much dough is in his bank roll.
But recently the Florida rapper decided to spend his cash a little more frugally at a rap concert.
U.S. & World
According to Hip Hop Enquirer, Plies invited an 18-year old high school senior on stage at a holiday concert in Atlanta.
The girl, Khambrea Johnkins, probably was thinking she was about to get serenaded with a lyric containing her name and maybe an expletive or two. But instead, Plies, whose real name is Algernold Lanier Washington, shocked the crowd by saying he was proud to hear she was a graduating senior and offered to pay for her tuition to any college in the country.
"I don't give a damn if its Georgia Tech Notre Dame, Flora State, Harvard, or Yale, if you want to go to college, i am going to send you to college," Plies announced in his most gully Fort Myers voice.
Now anyone who knows Plies' lyrics knows that when he is talking about brains, it usually doesn't refer to a woman's intellect (check the verses to "Becky" or "Bust It Baby" for those in the dark).
But the Christmas surprise was a refreshing look at the 33-year-old Plies, who despite his self-professed "goon" status attended college at Miami University in Ohio and Central Florida before blowing up on the rap scene.
Plies had been criticized for tossing $50,000 in the crowd at one of his concerts, which got the haters stirring probably because they didn't get any.
Johnkins immediately flashed the "U" sign letting the 15,000 party goers know she wants to spend the next four years of her life in Coral Gables at the University of Miami campus. She plans on studying nursing.
"Well F--- it, I guess you are going to the University of Miami," Plies replied.
That's what we call a Christmas gift rapped the right way.


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My friend has multiple sclerosis. MS is a nasty disease, which has robbed my friend of the ability to walk. She gets by with an electric scooter and a wheelchair, but for someone who has traveled around the world, it's been a tough adjustment.
When our family was going to a water park for a birthday party recently, our friend told us she wanted to meet us there with her nephew, who was visiting her. The idea was that her nephew would play with the boys at the birthday party at the water park.
At the park, our friend had fewer options. There were two lifts: One assisted her from her wheelchair into a pool, and another did the same for the hot tub. But my friend has traveled around the world; she wasn't content to sit and soak like a dish sponge.
She wanted to ride the slides. Specifically, the biggest, hairiest slide in the park.
So she and her husband asked whether they could do that.
The first lifeguard was nice, but said the rule was that if she could get up the stairs (about four flights of them) by herself, she could ride the slide. That seemed arbitrary. What did the ability to walk up the stairs have to do with hanging on to the inflatable raft on the way down? You couldn't use your legs on the raft anyway. On the slide my friend wanted to ride, your butt sat in a hole, and your lower body was immobilized, or was supposed to be.
That was discouraging. I once wrote a story about an engineer who spent a half day in a wheelchair to get a sense of what it was like. He was astonished at all he ways that streets and sidewalks and ramps that were built to code — the way his manuals told him — were nevertheless unusable for people in wheelchairs. I'd learned the same thing with my friend. Every doorway, every step, every time she got in a car, or got on a streetcar or bus, or went in to a restaurant — everything we take for granted is a possible barrier for her.
A little while later, my friend asked another employee, and got another no.
There were people who were grossly overweight, and really out of shape, whose upper body were far weaker than my friend's, who has an impressive set of triceps as a result of propelling a wheelchair. But I understood the rules … which are often set up by lawyers as a result of someone somewhere suing someone else.
But my friend wasn't giving up so easily. She went to the central first aid desk and asked a third time. This time her husband, my wife and I came too, to emphasize the point that we were willing and able to get her up the stairs.
The woman she spoke to was more senior, and was very apologetic. But she still said no.
I walked away from that feeling pretty defeated. I could go back and ride the slides, but it didn't feel exactly right. I had free roam of the place, but my friend was hampered by a lack of machinery, and a set of invisible rules.
But then, about 15 minutes later, my friend came over, grinning. They'd changed their minds!
Up the stairs we went. The line was long, and we took turns piggybacking my friend up the stairs, while taking a lot of breaks while the line wasn't moving. When we got to the top of the slide, we had to convince the girl working at the top that we'd gotten permission (since she was the first one we asked).
She relented. We got my friend into her seat, and off we went. With four adults, we had a lot of weight on the raft, so it was a pretty wild ride. But we made it to the bottom intact.
My friend was happy. We were happy for her.
Funny how that ride ended up being the highlight of the day.


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Videos | March 20, 2007
International Polar Year
Glaciers, ice sheets and oceans at Earth's poles are the subject of the International Polar Year. NASA also begins work to explore other poles in our solar system.
Transcript:Dr. Eric Rignot Research Scientist, Jet Propulsion Laboratory:
There's been predictions that sea ice cover will be gone by 2040, which is around the corner. These huge masses of ice can change far more rapidly than we thought. They don't change in time scales of centuries. We've seen changes within a decade, which is quite significant. The International Polar Year March 1, 2007 - March 1, 2009
Narrator: Despite its name, the International Polar Year research project runs two full years to allow thousands of scientists from over 60 nations to study two complete cycles of Earth's north and south poles. They will study all aspects of the poles: Land regions, ice sheets, glaciers, sea ice, oceans and the atmosphere.
Rignot: We live in an era of satellite observations. We have more quantitative information. We go beyond telling you the Greenland ice sheet is melting and losing mass. We can actually put a number to that and convert that number into something people will relate to. Dr. Leslie Tamppari, Phoenix Project Scientist, Jet Propulsion Laboratory We know from studying the Earth's poles that taking an ice core, it can tell us about the climate history of the Earth. They look at the trapped gases in the ice core and then they can tell, for example, how much carbon dioxide was in the atmosphere, how much methane was in the atmosphere, other greenhouse gases.
Rignot: I think to the general public, it's difficult to relate to a warming air temperature. If the air temperature warms up one to two degrees, I don't think it speaks very much. If they hear stories about the ice caps melting, the sea ice being gone by 2040 or even polar bears dying because there's no sea ice for them to survive, they can relate to that.
Narrator: The consequences, both natural and man-made, are seen at the poles sooner than elsewhere.
Rignot: This International Polar Year, the main goal is to establish the state of health of the polar regions and have a reference for future studies.
Narrator: NASA scientists are using poles to learn about our world and others.
Dr. Jim Garvin: Chief Scientist, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center The ice sheets of Earth and the polar regions are true frontiers, and they're frontiers that link Earth to the planets beyond Earth. In 2008, during the IPY, NASA will land the Phoenix Mars Polar Lander.
Tamppari: It will land in the northern polar region of Mars. We'll be in that environment that we can dig down into the soil and sample the ices in the soil that's there and analyze it in our on board instruments.
Garvin: In 2008, NASA will launch the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and the vehicle will explore in earnest, using remote sensing, the poles of the moon. Relate them back to our Earth poles, even to the poles of Mars, and open up that frontier, we hope, for human presence, eventually sustained human presence. So we can actually learn about ourselves by exploring the moon, Mars, Saturn, Saturn's icy moons, Mercury, even Venus, and apply it to home, all through this scientific organizational framework that is the IPY.


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Xbox One & Xbox 360 cross-gen games have separate achievements
Xbox One and Xbox 360 cross-gen titles will have separate achievements, so all of the cheevo-hunters out there can get more score by completing both versions of the same game if they really, really want to.
Speaking as part of an IGN 'Ask Me Anything' session, Xbox One architect Marc Whitten Said of the dual achievements, "Every game has its own set of achievements, so if you're playing Call of Duty: Ghosts on Xbox 360 and on Xbox One, you can earn a separate set of Gamerscore in each game,"
"But on the Xbox One version, you're getting a much richer set of features, such as seeing your achievements progress on the Xbox One console, being able to unlock new achievements throughout the year, and earning real prizes inside and outside of the game."
Would you actually, ever consider doing both? Let us know.
Thanks OXM.


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Is it still possible to reinvent yourself?
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